Numbers eBook

The People’s Bible

Numbers

Paul W. Kuske

NORTHWESTERN PUBLISHING HOUSE

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Cover art by Frank Ordaz.

Interior illustrations by Glenn Myers.

Covers of first edition volumes and certain second edition volumes feature illustrations by James Tissot (1836–1902).

The diagram on page 27 was done by NPH artist Kurt Adams and the map on page 249 by John Lawrenz.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—except for brief quotations in reviews, without prior permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Card 90–60486

Northwestern Publishing House

1250 N. 113th St., Milwaukee, WI 53226–3284

© 1990 Northwestern Publishing House

ISBN 0–8100–1163–8

CONTENTS

Editor’s Preface

Introduction to Numbers

From Sinai to Kadesh (1:1–14:45)

The years of wandering (15:1–19:22)

From Kadesh to the Jordan (20:1–27:23)

Preparations at the Jordan (28:1–36:13)

ILLUSTRATIONS

Moses

Diagram of the camp

The grapes of Canaan

A man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath Day

Moses removed Aaron’s garments

Balaam and the donkey

MAP

The exodus

EDITOR’S PREFACE

The People’s Bible is just what the name implies—a Bible for the people. It includes the complete text of the Holy Scriptures in the popular New International Version. The commentary following the Scripture sections contains personal applications as well as historical background and explanations of the text.

The authors of The People’s Bible are men of scholarship and practical insight, gained from years of experience in the teaching and preaching ministries. They have tried to avoid the technical jargon that limits so many commentary series to professional Bible scholars.

The most important feature of these books is that they are Christ-centered. Speaking of the Old Testament Scriptures, Jesus himself declared, These are the Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39). Each volume of The People’s Bible directs our attention to Jesus Christ. He is the center of the entire Bible. He is our only Savior.

The commentaries also have maps, illustrations, and archaeological information when appropriate. All the books include running heads to direct the reader to the passage he is looking for.

This commentary series was initiated by the Commission on Christian Literature of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

It is our prayer that this endeavor may continue as it began. We dedicate these volumes to the glory of God and to the good of his people.

Moses

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS

Thirty-five centuries ago, two million people wandered in the Sinai desert and miraculously received manna from God each day. Others had wandered there and had died of starvation. These two million people prospered because they were the people chosen by God. At that same time, other millions also were prospering in the ancient Near East and making their marks on the pages of history, but the Bible makes little mention of them. Also during that same period of time, empires were rising and falling in other parts of the world. The Lord’s attention, however, was focused on that relative handful of people he was leading from Egypt to Canaan. To them he gave victory after victory.

The biblical account focuses on this one nation because they were the descendants of Abraham. They were the people with whom God had made a solemn contract, a covenant. In it he gave his word that the Savior promised to Abraham would come from them. That promise was reason enough for the detailed biblical record of God’s loving care for these people.

The book of Numbers presents a crucial 39-year segment of the history of this covenant people. The historical record in Numbers spans the years from the time the Israelites encamped at Mount Sinai to their encampment on the plains east of the Jordan River a generation later.

Theme

The LORD is with us! (Numbers 14:9). That was the confident plea of Joshua and Caleb, 2 of the 12 spies who had been sent to explore Canaan. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land (verse 8) expresses the faith of the two spies. They hung on to this hope in spite of the fact that the majority of the Israelites followed the negative report of the other ten spies and refused to go forward in the name of the Lord.

The LORD is with us! This statement expressed the confidence that the Lord had demonstrated his presence to the people of Israel in many ways. He had given them victory after victory and promised even more victories. He had led them through a series of difficulties to the borders of the land flowing with milk and honey. Each day he had miraculously provided food and water in a strange and frightening wilderness. Day after day he had continued to show his presence by means of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He had instructed the people in their worship lives, providing the standards by which their nation was to function. And on many occasions, he showed he was as concerned about individuals as he was about the whole nation. The evidence overwhelmingly supported Caleb’s confident statement: The LORD is with us!

Yet the reaction of the Israelites stands in stark contrast to the confident trust of Joshua and Caleb. How fickle the Israelites were! How frail their trust in the Lord! While there were moments when they did serve the Lord faithfully, there was also a long series of complaints and rebellions against him. Moses tells us the rebelliousness reached its climax at a place called Kadesh, near the southern border of Canaan. The people refused to follow the confident urging of Caleb and Joshua. They refused to enter the Promised Land because they accepted the negative report of the ten spies. By refusing to believe God’s promise, they forfeited the privilege of taking possession of the land. That decision (chapter 14) is the turning point of the book.

Prior to that point, the book of Numbers records a growing tension between the Lord and the people. The Lord was faithful, but among the people we see dissatisfaction and rebelliousness growing and festering.

Even after the turning point, the faithfulness of the Lord was still very evident in all that follows. That is why he continued to discipline the people. Consequently, after wandering in the wilderness for 38 years after their rebellion, the people of Israel were far less rebellious. Although they continued to disobey the Lord at times, the people seemed more willing to follow the Lord and claim the new homeland he had promised them. In confidence they arrived at the Jordan River. Their mood at the riverbank reflected the attitude of Joshua and Caleb. They now accepted the truth: The LORD is with us!

Outline

The four natural divisions of the book of Numbers are based on the geographical areas in which the Israelites were encamped. They are as follows: (1) from Sinai to Kadesh; (2) the years of wandering; (3) from Kadesh to the Jordan River; (4) preparations at the Jordan River.

In connection with each of these geographical areas, Moses dwells on three or four related topics: (1) life in the community, (2) life as individuals, (3) life in worship, and (4) life while moving out. In the first and last parts of the book, Moses chose to write about all four topics. In the two middle sections, he chose to include only three of the topics. These observations suggest the following outline:

Theme: The LORD is with us!

I.   From Sinai to Kadesh (chapters 1–14)

A.  Life in the community (1:1–4:45)

Census of the entire nation; camp arrangement; census and responsibilities of the Levites

B.  Life as individuals (5:1–6:21)

Unclean outside the camp; law of jealousy; Nazirite vows

C.  Life in worship (6:22–9:14)

Aaronic benediction; offerings for dedication of the tabernacle; lamps; Levites set apart; Passover

D.  Life while moving out (9:15–14:45)

The cloud; silver trumpets; Taberah; Kibroth Hattaavah; Miriam and Aaron; spies; report; night of decision; day of presumption

   II.   During the years of wandering (chapters 15–19)

A.  Life as individuals (15:1–41) Supplemental offerings; tassels

B.  Life in the community (16:1–50) Rebellion of Korah

C.  Life in worship (17:1–19:22)

Aaron’s staff; priests and Levites; water of cleansing

   III.  From Kadesh to the Jordan River (chapters 20–27)

A.  Life while moving out (20:1–21:35)

Kadesh again; Edom; Arad; the bronze snake; Moab; defeat of Sihon and Og

B.  Life in the community (22:1–26:65)

A greedy prophet; seduced by Moab; the second census

C.  Life as individuals (27:1–23)

Request of Zelophehad’s daughters; Joshua

   IV.  During the preparations at the Jordan River (chapters 28–36)

A.  Life in worship (28:1–30:16)

Summary of offerings and feasts; vows

B.  Life while moving out (31:1–54)

Vengeance on the Midianites; spoils

C.  Life in the community (32:1–35:5)

The transjordan tribes; review of stages of the desert journey; boundaries of Canaan; towns of the Levites

D.  Life as individuals (35:6–36:13)

Cities of refuge; second request of Zelophehad’s daughters

Title

When we call the fourth book of the Old Testament Numbers, we are following the Septuagint. (The Septuagint is a translation of the Old Testament Hebrew into Greek and was made about 285 B.C.) The Septuagint translators wished to indicate that the book records several numberings of the people of Israel.

These numberings were especially important on two occasions. The first counting occurred at Mount Sinai and included all the men who were 20 years old or older when the Israelites came out of Egypt and who were fit to go to war. The second important counting occurred a generation later at the Jordan River. At that point it was determined that the entire generation of men (except for Joshua and Caleb) who had been counted at the first census had died. The Lord’s judgment on an unfaithful generation had been carried out.

Unfortunately, the title Numbers has led many people to believe that the whole book is made up of dull statistics. Perhaps people would more readily read this book if we followed the custom of the people of Israel. They used the first word of each book as its title. The title of Numbers would then be In the Wilderness. How neatly that summarizes the content of the book! It traces the history of the people of God during the 39 years they wandered from Mount Sinai to the Jordan River. More precisely, the book of Numbers shows how God protected, blessed, disciplined, provided for, forgave, and led the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness. The book ends on the happy note that the Lord, the God of free and faithful grace, had after four centuries kept his promise to Abraham. The Israelites were encamped at the Jordan River, ready to claim the land promised centuries earlier to Abraham for his descendants.

Historical Setting

All dates in Numbers are defined in terms of the escape from Egypt or the departure from Mount Sinai. There is no specific reference to external events that might help us determine the exact time of the events described. On the other hand, since the dates are determined by the events recorded in Exodus, we will set the date of the Israelites’ departure from Egypt at about 1446 B.C. and the departure from Mount Sinai as one year later. For more details on the matter of the dating, the reader may wish to check pages 5 and 6 of the Exodus volume of The People’s Bible.

Author

The statement God spoke to Moses occurs at least 80 times in the book of Numbers. Another hundred times we are merely told that God spoke. It is therefore obvious to conclude that Moses wrote down what God told him. In fact, in Numbers 33:2 the Lord specifically commanded Moses to write down a list of the stages of the journey in the desert. At other times God’s instructions were so detailed that it is only natural to assume that Moses, who had the privilege of talking to God face-to-face, simply wrote them down.

At the time of Christ, this book was included in the collection of five books that were titled The Law of Moses. (To be more precise, the Hebrew term really means The Instructions of Moses.) Consequently, every reference in the New Testament to the Law of Moses is additional evidence that God does indeed consider Moses the author of the fourth book of the Bible. Christ himself put his stamp of approval on the accuracy of Numbers when he said to Nicodemus, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up (John 3:14; see Numbers 21:4–9).

Moses, the Mediator of the Old Covenant

The Lord himself chose Moses to be the greatest of the prophets. Of him the Lord said:

When a prophet of the LORD is among you,

I reveal myself to him in visions,

I speak to him in dreams.

But this is not true of my servant Moses;

he is faithful in all my house.

With him I speak face to face,

clearly and not in riddles;

he sees the form of the LORD.

(Numbers 12:6–8)

What a remarkably clear expression of the special position God assigned to Moses! The Lord himself expands on the superiority of Moses by showing the direct relationship between Moses and Christ in a familiar prophecy: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him (Deuteronomy 18:15; see also verse 18). The parallel between Moses and the Prophet to come is noteworthy. Yet the words also point to the superiority of that coming Prophet (Jesus) as the one who deserves our full attention.

Another parallel between the work of Moses and of Christ is that both served as mediators between sinners and the holy God. In the New Testament, the term mediator is used a number of times to draw parallels and contrasts between Moses and Christ. Both functioned as God’s mediator to bring messages to man. Both also functioned as mediator for man, taking man’s needs and requests before the Lord of heaven. We identify these two functions with the prophetic and the priestly offices.

It is in the prophetic function that Moses again and again announced the will of God to the people. The instructions he gave at the command of the Lord ranged from the building of the Tent of Meeting to the census and to the judgment on a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath. Whenever the Israelites carried out the will of the Lord, Moses carefully noted their obedience. The phrase-by-phrase repetition of the instructions showed the meticulous care with which the people of Israel were to obey the Lord. It may seem tedious to us, but there can be no question about their obedience. All of this underscores the faithfulness with which Moses carried out his commission as a prophet of the Lord.

Moses also functioned as priest. Before the priesthood of Aaron was established, Moses did the sacrificing. We are told that he functioned as priest at the dedication of the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 40:29). Moses performed another priestly function when he acted as an intercessor on behalf of the people. Whether he was pleading for the people who had worshiped the golden calf (Exodus 32:1–14), presenting the need for water before the Lord (Numbers 20:6), or pleading for the Israelites when they had refused to go forward into the Promised Land (Numbers 14:13–19), Moses often acted as the spokesman of the people before the Lord. Indeed, on one occasion he expressed his willingness to forfeit his own salvation, if by so doing he could save his people (Exodus 32:32).

There is also a parallel with the kingly office of Christ. Moses was the political leader of the people of Israel. Under God’s direction he gave them their marching orders (Numbers 9:23). He was their judge, though he needed the help of others (Exodus 18:15–26). On another occasion he was directed to appoint 70 elders to help him in his administrative duties (Numbers 11:16–25). In the kingly office, Moses functioned as the servant of the Lord to keep order among the people of Israel.

So Moses combined the offices of prophet, priest, and king in his own person. As time went on, the priestly function was handed over to Aaron and his descendants. At the time of Moses’ death, the kingly function was handed over to Joshua. Whenever God sent prophets in the years that followed, the prophetic office was then continued.

Yet as remarkable as the parallel between the work of Moses and of Christ, the superiority of Christ is also very clear. Christ is an eternal prophet, priest, and king. When he spoke, he did so not as a mouthpiece of someone else; he spoke on his own prophetic authority as the Son of God. He made a single, sinless sacrifice that suffices for all ages, functioning both as the victim and as the priest. He also rules through all ages as the King of kings and Lord of lords, so the gates of hell will not prevail against his church.

But the superiority of Christ does not diminish the high honor the Lord placed on Moses. The covenant he mediated had its own level of glory. That level of glory is demonstrated in the fact that the face of Moses shone whenever he came from the presence of the Lord at the Tent of Meeting (2 Corinthians 3:7–18). The fact that the face of Moses had a temporary glow served God’s grace-filled purposes in the period prior to the coming of Christ.

While it is true that the Old Testament covenant was filled with shadows and pictures of the coming Christ, it did carry the message of forgiveness for fallen man. Therefore, though we as people of the New Testament can rejoice in the full reality of Christ’s redemptive work, the daily sacrifices and the sacrifices on the great Day of Atonement brought the same redemptive message to the people who lived before Christ. Though we know that the one sacrifice of Christ is sufficient for all time, the mere fact of repetition was a constant instruction to Old Testament believers, reminding them that without the shedding of blood as a redemption, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Those Old Testament blood sacrifices were all shadows that pointed to the sacrifice that Christ would make.

Truly Moses enjoyed a high privilege as he communicated God’s message to the people of God. That revelation was the foundation of God’s covenant for 1,500 years. Only the revelation of Christ supplanted it (Hebrews 1:1–4). The priesthood and the sacrifices, which were instituted at the time of Moses, were a focal point in God’s dealings with the Old Testament believers. Only the priesthood and the sacrifice of Christ himself could supersede what God had established through Moses (Hebrews 7:20–28; 9:23). In the 40 years of Moses’ ministry, the Lord established the old covenant. Only in another 40-year period that included our Savior’s life would a superior covenant be established (Hebrews 8:6).

Indeed even in the events of Moses’ life, there are interesting parallels to the life of Christ. For example, both were rescued from the murderous designs of an evil king (Exodus 2:2–10; Matthew 2:14, 15). Other parallels are miracles involving water (Exodus 14:21; Matthew 8:26) and the feeding of a multitude (Exodus 16:15; Matthew 14:20, 21). Both had radiant faces (Exodus 34:35; Matthew 17:2), were discredited among their countrymen (Numbers 12:1, 2; John 7:5), and made intercessory prayers for the people (Exodus 32:32; John 17:9). Both had 70 helpers (Numbers 11:16, 17; Luke 10:1) and reappeared after death (Matthew 17:3; Acts 1:3).

Truly in many ways, Moses was a special instrument of the Lord. In Numbers we will be able to observe him as he worked in the Lord’s service.

Impact

The events that are recorded in Numbers burned themselves deeply into the minds of the Israelites. Again and again the prophets and psalmists reminded people not to test the Lord in the way that the Israelites had done in the wilderness. Echoes of that admonition run through both the Old and New Testaments. Even today the rebellion of the Israelites at Kadesh stands as a solemn warning to us.

On the other hand, the book of Numbers also shows the faithfulness and power of God. To those who serve him, he will gladly pour out rich blessings. Through all ages believers can exclaim with Joshua and Caleb, The LORD is with us!

Purpose

The obvious purpose of Numbers is to record the historical events that occurred while the Israelites traveled from Sinai to the Jordan River. In fulfilling that purpose, the book narrates incidents that happened at various campsites. But the fact that no events are recorded at some campsites also shows that this is a selective account of the spiritual history of the people of Israel.

Because it is a spiritual history, it should not be surprising that Moses takes us from the joyous emotional heights the people experienced at the dedication of the tabernacle and at the first celebration of the Passover, down through their growing criticism of God, to the depths of their refusal to go forward into Canaan at the Lord’s direction. Then we understand the 38 years of chastisement that passed between the first and second encampment at Kadesh. Following the enforced stay in the wilderness, God’s continued blessing stands in sharp contrast to the events showing unfaithfulness of the people. Throughout the book the theme is clear: The LORD is with us.

So rising above the actions and reactions of Israel, we see the history of God’s love in dealing with his chosen people. Throughout this whole period, God remained completely faithful. Although the people tested his patience many times, God still called them his chosen nation. In spite of their repeated acts of rebellion, God preserved the nation in order to carry out his gracious plan to provide the Savior. Under the grand and overarching purpose of sending the Messiah, the Lord provided food for his people in a miraculous way; he gave them many victories; he protected the soldiers in battle; he frustrated a conniving false prophet; and finally, brought the people of Israel to the Land of Promise.

As we study the book of Numbers, we will focus on the Lord and his faithfulness. That is what Joshua and Caleb wanted to proclaim to the people when they said The LORD is with us! (Numbers 14:9). They were ready to go forward with confidence in the Lord. May this rallying cry strengthen us as it has strengthened the faithful in all ages!

PART ONE

From Sinai to Kadesh

(1:1–14:45)

The first part of Numbers moves from the events at Mount Sinai to the rebellion at Kadesh. While the Israelites were at Mount Sinai, the Lord required them to count the men who were 20 years old or more and were fit for war. The Lord’s rich blessing on the descendants of Abraham was obvious.

On the basis of the census, the Lord also designated the positions of the various tribes in the camp. The camp was designed to focus inward on the Tent of Meeting, which was surrounded by the Levites. In the outer circle were the people of the various tribes. The Lord also gave the instructions for a counting of the Levites and gave specific responsibilities to each of the Levite clans.

Life in the Community

The first four chapters of Numbers focus on matters that were important to the whole community. The numbering of the people showed how well God had kept his promise to make a great nation from the descendants of Abraham. For such a large company of people to proceed in an orderly way, it was also vital that an orderly arrangement of the camp be made. For the worship life of the community, there is also a definition of the responsibilities of the priests and the Levites.

A Census Commanded

Numbers 1:2–16

1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: ²‘Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. ³You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army. ⁴One man from each tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you. ⁵These are the names of the men who are to assist you:

from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur;

⁶from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai;

⁷from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;

⁸from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar;

⁹from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon;

¹⁰from the sons of Joseph:

from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud;

from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur;

¹¹from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni;

¹²from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai;

¹³from Asher, Pagiel son of Ocran;

¹⁴from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

¹⁵from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan."

¹⁶These were the men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel.

The tone for the entire book of Numbers is set in the very first words: The LORD spoke to Moses. That phrase is repeated at least 80 times in the book. Very clearly the life of the people, the two censuses, the instructions for worship life, and the decisions for moving from campsite to campsite were under the direct supervision of the Lord.

The book of Numbers reports again and again that the Lord used Moses as his spokesman. In face-to-face communication, the Lord spoke to Moses at the Tent of Meeting. Over that tent the Lord hovered in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. So when the Lord wanted to speak to Moses, he summoned him to the tent and addressed him there.

The place and time when the Lord spoke to Moses is clearly noted in the opening statement of the book. The time was the first day of the second month of the second year after the people had been delivered from Egypt. The Israelites were still encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. Comparing this dating with Exodus and Leviticus, it is clear that the events in the first part of Numbers are closely related to the dedication of the Tent of Meeting. The dedicatory celebration had begun on the first day of the second year (See Exodus 40.) Further, the events in the book of Leviticus had also occurred during the first month of celebration. The instructions that God had given for the worship life of the people of Israel in Leviticus had also been carried out during the same month.

These facts are noted to show just how closely the books of Moses are tied together. In fact, the first Hebrew word in the book of Numbers has a prefix that could be translated and then. By using this conjunction, Moses was simply continuing the narrative of the book of Leviticus. Between Leviticus and Numbers there should be no more hesitation than we would make in these sentences: I went to the grocery store. And then I went to the hardware store. That there is a division at all is probably due to limitations on the size of a scroll, not a difference in message or in content.

When the Lord spoke to Moses, his instructions for the census were simple and direct. The responsibility for taking the census was placed on Moses, Aaron, and one leader from each of the tribes of Israel. The Lord even designated each tribal leader by name. Though the Scriptures do not give us any biographical information about the 12 princes, it is interesting to examine their names. Many of these names indicate a clear reference to God. Note the syllables: El (meaning God), Eli (my God), Abi (my father), Ahi (my brother).

The Lord had designated the workers! The work, however, presents some problems because no single English word describes their duties. Translators vacillate between census and mustering. Since a count was taken, census seems appropriate. Yet since the count included only men 20 or more years old who were able to go to war, the military term muster could very appropriately be used.

The procedure for the mustering was defined by four terms: tribe, clan, family, and name. The broadest term was tribe. The tribes of Israel took their names from the 12 sons of Jacob, who had lived about four centuries earlier. Thus there was the tribe of Simeon, the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Dan, and so on.

Within the tribe there were clans. The names of the clans were derived from the names of the grandsons of Jacob. For example, Simeon had four sons. Therefore within the tribe of Simeon there were four clans: Hanochite, Palluite, Hezronite, and Carmite (Numbers 26:5, 6).

The next term, family, jumps across the centuries to the time of Moses and includes all the people who were descendants of a common, living ancestor. Such extended families presented themselves as a group for the actual counting. The final term, by name, indicates that the census was to include every single person who met the criteria.

A chart that follows will illustrate these terms:

Since all the people of Israel lived in a single camp, this procedure was both efficient and exact. The oldest man of each of the families would present himself before the census takers. The family head would then define the family tree by reciting his own name and then the names of his sons and grandsons. Looking to the left and right, each family leader could determine whether his own brothers and cousins were present and accounted for. By this procedure an accurate count was provided and was even checked and crosschecked in a single day.

The Census Itself

Numbers 1:17–54

¹⁷Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been given, ¹⁸and they called the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The people indicated their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one, ¹⁹as the LORD commanded Moses. And so he counted them in the Desert of Sinai:

²⁰From the descendants of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel:

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. ²¹The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500.

²²From the descendants of Simeon:

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. ²³The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300.

²⁴From the descendants of Gad:

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. ²⁵The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650.

²⁶From the descendants of Judah:

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. ²⁷The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600.

²⁸From the descendants of Issachar:

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. ²⁹The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400.

³⁰From the descendants of Zebulun:

All the men twenty years old or more who were able to